Police say Lower Burrell man driving with toddler in car had heroin, other narcotics

A man has been charged with three felony drug counts and a dozen other offenses, including endangering the welfare of a child, after an Arnold patrol officer said he saw him toss a bag of suspected narcotics out of his vehicle.

Joseph Christopher Marzullo, 34, of Michigan Avenue, Lower Burrell, was charged with three felony counts of possession with the intent to deliver drugs, along with seven lesser charges of drug possession.

He also faces a charge of endangering the welfare of a child and four traffic violations in connection with the Dec. 4 incident.

The officer said he was patrolling in the area of Drey Street shortly before 9:30 p.m. when he spotted a silver Mitsubishi Galant traveling “at a speed unsafe for traffic conditions,” according to a criminal complaint.

The officer said he was behind the car when it stopped at the traffic light at the intersection of Freeport Road. The officer saw the driver drop “a knotted plastic baggy” from the window, according to the arrest papers.

The officer pulled the car over, and the driver waited about 10 seconds before driving off when the light turned green, making a left turn without signaling, police said.

The officer said there was a toddler was in the back seat when he ordered Marzullo to get out of the car so he could place him in handcuffs.

Another officer who responded conducted a pat-down search of Marzullo and discovered what he believed was a bundle of heroin packets in the pocket of his hooded sweatshirt, along with what felt like a prescription pill bottle, the complaint said.

Police said, in addition to a bundle of stamp bags that was confiscated, the pill bottle in Marzullo’s possession had 54 stamp bags of heroin, 17 oxycodone pills and 48 Xanax tablets.

A K-9 unit from New Kensington responded to conduct an “air sniff” that was positive for controlled substances, the complaint said.

No other narcotics were found in the car, police said, but they did find several empty stamp bags “on the seat area of the child seat” and one of them was directly on top of the child seat, according to the complaint.

Emergency medical technicians examined the child and determined she was not exposed to any narcotics.

Police said a woman came to the scene and took custody of the child.

Marzullo was released from jail on his own recognizance. He faces a preliminary hearing before District Judge Frank J. Pallone Jr. on Thursday, Dec. 16 .